The Only Girl Newsie

Chapter 12: Hello, Dad

Snyder drags me all the way to the refuge. I struggle the whole way, wishing I was anywhere but here. I can't go back to the refuge, I've spent a long time there, and it was not good. I also broke a promise, and that won't end well with Snyder.

As we get to the refuge, he throws me into a room alone. He locks the door, so I can't get out, and no one can get in. I run to the door, hoping I can find a way out anyway, when I hear Crutchie outside the door, struggling to escape the Delancy's.

"No, let me go! Please, I didn't do nuthin! You have no reason ta put me here!" I heard him yell. "Madie!" He yelled out to me, knowing I was somewhere in the building.

I wish I could help him, but I can't. I hear him being thrown and him crying out in pain for a good while. Then nothing.

I sit on a chair in the room, waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

After hours of nothing, I hear footsteps outside my door. The door opens, and I stand up, ready to run for it. It opens farther, and I see Oscar, Morris, and Snyder waiting for me. I stop myself from running, knowing it is useless.

"Hello, my darling," Snyder says, addressing me.

"Hello, my father," I say to him, knowing how he wants me to talk.

"Oh good, you haven't forgotten who I am," he says as he walks into the room. Oscar and Morris follow him in and shut the door behind them, locking me in here with them.

"How could I forget someone like you?" I ask him sarcastically. I know this will end in a beating anyway, might as well get a good insult in first.

He slaps me across the face, angry at me as I predicted. "Don't speak to me like that, young lady. You understand?" He asks me as I fall to the ground from the force of his hand.

"Yes, Father," I respond, not looking up at him.

"Good," he says, not really meaning it. "Now, it seems we have a problem. You made me a promise when you left, and I know you have broken that promise. You know what happens when you break a promise." Snyder tells me. He grabs my arm and holds on tightly, forcing me to look up at him. "You will pay for what you have done."

Oscar and Morris grab me as well, and all three of them start dragging me out of the room and into the hallway. I try to get away, I try to use all my strength against them, but I can't beat all three of them at once. They drag me to the 'torture room,' as they call it. They shut the door, locking us all in once again. They let go of me and immediately start beating me just like they used to. I have no time to react; I just feel pain. I feel my ankle move in a way it should not. I try not to cry out in pain, but I do. It continues until I fall unconscious from the pain, though I know it didn't stop there.

I wake up on the floor in the main sleeping room. Some boys are around me, and they look relieved when they see I'm awake. I sit up slowly, feeling lots of pain everywhere. I look at my once cut hand to see it now looks even worse. I look at what I can see of myself and see cuts and bruises everywhere.

"Madie! Your okay!" Someone yells at me and hugs me. It's one of the little boys here. I wince a little bit from his hug, and he lets go. "Are you okay?" He asks me, worried.

"I'm fine," I tell him. I get up slowly, not wanting to hurt myself more. When I stand up, I realize my right foot is messed up more than I thought. I look around the room and see Crutchie lying down, looking really bad. "Crutchie," I whisper just loud enough for him to hear me.

"Madie," he says as he sits up.

I try to walk toward him, but I fall as soon as I put pressure on my right foot. I hit the ground hard and groan as I do.

A few boys come over to me and help me up, just like I used to do to them. "Thanks," I say to them quietly.

They help me get to Crutchie without putting pressure on my right foot. I sit down next to Crutchie on the bed. "Madie, you okay?" He asks me, looking over my injuries as I do the same to him. We're both in terrible condition, but neither of us comments on it.

"Crutchie, I'm fine," I say, trying to reassure him as much as I am myself.

"But," he starts to say before he gets cut off by the door opening.

Everyone gets up and lines up as a few boys come to help Crutchie and me line up. They let us stand on our own, me leaning on my left foot that hurts but isn't messed up, and Crutchie was leaning against his crutch. We all knew this would be better in the long run, so Snyder didn't freak out on us more than necessary.

"Huh, looks like my disaster of a daughter has woken up," Snyder says to me as he walks in. He completely ignores the other boys, which is a good thing. He looks me up and down and pushes me over, laughing as I fall, unable to balance myself. "Ha, not so great now, are ya?" He asks me rhetorically. "Oscar, grab her one of the terrible crutches, might as well get used to one. She'll be here a while." He laughs, and Oscar throws a crutch at me, hitting me in the stomach, hurting me even more. "Night, my daughter," Snyder says to me as he walks out of the room. Some other boys help me up and sit me on a bed. Wow, what have I gotten myself into, and what will I do?